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Saturday, October 10, 2020
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Sophie Wilmès, and the Minister for Development Cooperation, Meryame Kitir, welcomed the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) .
Ms Wilmès and Ms Kitir said they were “very satisfied” that the award was awarded to WFP, which they described as one of Belgium’s privileged partners in responding to crisis situations.
Belgian humanitarian policy is governed by the principles of good humanitarian donation, in line with a commitment made by the country at the 2015 World Humanitarian Summit.
One of these principles is to provide humanitarian organizations with predictable funding that enables them to respond with flexibility, speed and dynamism to evolving humanitarian needs, said the two members of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s government.
Belgian support to WFP is in line with this principle, the ministers explained. Flexible and predictable funding has enhanced the Program’s ability to respond quickly and provide immediate and effective assistance to people in need, including in “forgotten crises” such as Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, and of course Lebanon and Syria. they added. .
Belgium also supports WFP in using new and innovative technology to make humanitarian aid delivery even more effective. Humanitarian access is often hampered by armed groups in conflict zones and, for example, Belgian funding has allowed the deployment of drones in such cases.
The number of people suffering from malnutrition around the world has increased due to conflict, drought and other natural disasters, exacerbating food insecurity and, as a result, the need for humanitarian assistance. It is only due to the COVID-19 pandemic that a large increase in the number of famine victims has been detected. The global recession fueled by the crisis threatens to condemn to famine between 83 and 132 million people worldwide, the two ministers stressed.
In awarding the Peace Prize to WFP, the Nobel Committee has highlighted the central role that the UN program can play in the global fight against hunger and in continuing to bring peace to conflict zones through humanitarian aid. said the ministers.
The Program’s work “should serve as an example in our actions as a State to contribute to the construction of a more secure and stable world,” commented the Chancellor, adding that Belgium shares this approach.
The Brussels Times